NHL: Bettman has a blast during logo unveiling

Saturday

Apr 28, 2012 at 12:01 AMApr 28, 2012 at 9:57 AM

On a radiant day on the plaza outside Nationwide Arena, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman marveled at how far the Arena District has come in 15 years - from the rubble of an abandoned state prison to the home of a world-class arena worthy of hosting the 2013 NHL All-Star Game.

Aaron Portzline, The Columbus Dispatch

On a radiant day on the plaza outside Nationwide Arena, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman marveled at how far the Arena District has come in 15 years - from the rubble of an abandoned state prison to the home of a world-class arena worthy of hosting the 2013 NHL All-Star Game.

"I remember what it was like standing here back then," Bettman said. "Then, it was a vision. Now it's a reality, and it's an ideal setting for one of our league's biggest events each year."

The Blue Jackets unveiled the game's official logo, which plays off the club's main sweater with its colors (red, white, blue and silver) and the swirling Ohio flag and a capital star draped over two sticks.

"When you award an All-Star Game, it's about the city, the organization and the arena," Bettman said. "We know we can bring a successful celebratory event here as we did with the (NHL entry draft in 2007).

"Columbus is a remarkable NHL market, and it's only going to get better when the team gets more competitive."

While the club's Civil War-era cannon is not part of the logo, it was thunderously present yesterday.

As the logo was unveiled to a crowd of several hundred fans, the cannon fired three times, the first blast appearing to startle Bettman, Blue Jackets majority owner John P. McConnell and many others in the crowd.

"I love the cannon," Bettman said a few moments later. Then, feigning a loss of hearing in his right ear, he added: "Not as much as I did a few minutes ago, but I do love it."

aportzline@dispatch.com

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